Greenpeace says that between 2000 and 2005 Indonesia had the fastest rate of deforestation in the world, destroying an area the equivalent to 300 soccer fields every hour. Greenpeace has successfully applied to the Guinness Book of World Records to have Indonesia's status as the world Number One in rainforest deforestation acknowledged in the 2008 edition of the Book, to be published in September 2007.

The citation in the 2008 Guinness World Records will read:

Of the 44 countries which collectively account for 90% of the world's forests, the country which pursues the highest annual rate of desforestation is Indonesia with 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) of forest destroyed each year between 2000-2005; a rate of 2% annually or 51 km2 (20 miles2) destroyed every day.

While Indonesia has the fastest rate of rainforest deforestation Brazil destroys a larger area of forest every year.

Greenpeace says that Indonesia's rate of forest destruction also makes the country the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution after the United States and China because some scientists say that up to 25% of greenhouse gas emissions comes from tropical forest clearance. planetark

13 Comments on “Rainforest Deforestation”

Greenpeace says that between 2000 and 2005 Indonesia had the fastest rate of deforestation in the world, destroying an area the equivalent to 300 soccer fields every hour.

This is scary. Even scarier since nothing has been done to reduce the rate of deforestation, and other nature-damaging things.

Indonesia has been blessed with one of the best nature gifts in the world. Breath-taking mountains, forests, beaches, you name it, we have it (except snow). All they need to do is maintain, and tourists will flock in. People just take it for granted and don’t really care about nature preservation. When it’s gone, it’s too late to regret.

Zamrud Khatulistiwa is now in the process of transformation into Arang Khatulistiwa.

Masindi: There is nothing wrong with making furnitures from wood. There is nothing wrong with catching fishes from the sea and eat them. They are there to fulfill our needs.

What’s wrong is, when we don’t re-plant the forest we cut down, we cut down much more than what we can re-plant, we catch fishes using bomb which destroy the fishes’ ability to breed (and also destroying potential tourist spot), we over-harvest natural resources that end up not fully utilized, etc.

The root of the problem is human greed. Quote: The world is enough to satisfy our need but not our greed, so please, take only what you need.

Masindi: the buyers may or may not know where the wood come from. The sellers are just trying to make profit – nothing wrong with that until they break the law.

The question is, is there law governing how wood can be harvested? I believe to some extent there is — and then the next question is, is the government enforcing the law properly? or are government officials taking bribes in exchange for relaxing control?

I honestly don’t believe Indonesian politics and governing infrastructure are currently capable of solving any problem but the most immediate ones. Long term problem like deforestation, climate change, population growth are simply beyond the interest and comprehension of our politicians. I don’t expect the situation to change much in the next two decades; by that time, at the rate of 50 sqkm per day, as quoted by Green Peace, we would be burning an area more than twice the entire Java island.

i am so desperately sad at this terrible felling of the rainforests not just for the climatechange or for the loss of animals. the rainforests are indonesias heritage and they are just throwing it all away surely the whole world should get together and persuade them to stop offering alternatives please please stop thank you

I think the key is sustainable development. As Arema said we hav 2 only take wat we need and not be consumed by greed. there are some major things going on though that r hard 2 sustain like the fact that every minute 15 acres of land (15 football itches r being deforested) and how the natives are forced 2 liv on reservations.A third of the world’s oxygen comes from the rainforest aswell and so do 99% of its creatures. Not only this but the burning of the forest is even giving off more Co2 meaning a greater chance of global warming. Also with less evapotranspiration (water vapour) in the air it could even cause local droughts. Some possible solutions could be, selective logging(logging companies cannot exceed there total amount of trees cut per day, the traditional amerindian slash and burn method though only efficient with a small group of people it is very sustainable because the trees cut are replaced with seeds,nature reserves and parks are always good. They protect the environment and creatures and bring in more money from tourism, and last but not least, a treeplanting programme so that the 30 million or so living there can replace wat has been cut down.

This is a huge problem, so why are you people just sitting here, complaining about it? Get off your asses and do something. There are millions of people who feel the same way! Why don’t we join forces? Start petitions? Protests? Go to the guy whos behind all this and protest! Inform more people of how important this is? We are losing medicines that are found in rain forests on a daily basis. Medicines that could cure cancer, or HIV. This is A HUGE PROBLEM! TAKE ACTION! I’ll be right there when you do!

Sorry Indonesia – I love your country, and your culture, it is beautiful, but you IDIOTS.
YOU YOU YOU are in control of YOUR country. If YOU had the heart to say NO to greedy Western tycoons then the rainforest would not be in the appalling state that it is in now.
Millions of caring, enlightened human beings worldwide are heartbroken by what you and your associates are doing to this world, and no matter how loud we cry, none of you will listen. Not even for your own good.
You would rather KILL the rainforest and all the life within it, just so your greed can live.
I’m disgusted.
Beleive it or not there are people here in the west who STRIVE to make a positive difference and who care about these huge ecological problems, but it seems like Indonesia is self-destructing. We blame ourselves in the West, but you carry the blame.
STOP SINAR MAS, STOP KILLING THE RAINFOREST!
WHAT IT THE MATTER WITH YOU?!

I think both the western and here are to be put to blame. There’s no way Indonesian could restrain itself from the effect of globalization. Nor the consumerism lifestyle that the west brought to us. Meanwhile, Indonesia still strive with high unemployment and poverty. There’s always somebody to do the dirty job, you don’t even need CV.
I’ve seen no end to this, around the world human is greedy and selfish. Even when the impact of deforestation start to emerged, our ego still think we could manage these things out. Self-conscious people are lack of resources to move million others into their perspective. Just look at our leaders! !B!S!